Paraguay has been called the least-known country in Latin America, an island surrounded by land, and the "South American Tibet." For many years, foreign writers and journalists described it as an enigmatic land where a peculiar people endured calamities and Nazis sought refuge.

Tomas Mandl spent 2016 to 2020 traveling through the country, meeting leading minds and sifting through data. Drawing on more than 40 interviews with historians, political scientists, economists, journalists and diplomats, this book provides a timely assessment of Paraguay's strengths, challenges and developmental outlook, and their implications for the world.

Tomás Mandl was born in Virginia and raised in Uruguay. Currently a program officer with the Center for International Private Enterprise, he previously worked for the Department of State as a political specialist in Ecuador, Vietnam, and Paraguay. His articles in English and Spanish have appeared in World Politics Review and Revista Perspectiva, among others. He lives in Falls Church, Virginia.